


Just Peggy and Daniel

by truth_renowned



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/M, Inspired By Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 19:21:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9508790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truth_renowned/pseuds/truth_renowned
Summary: Peggy and Daniel attend the inaugural ball for President Dwight Eisenhower, then have the rest of the evening to themselves. Whatever will they do?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is all paeonia's fault because of [this post with the far-too-accurate tags](https://peonymoss.tumblr.com/post/155992977908/food-for-fic-peggy-at-an-inaugural-ball-mcu).

January 20, 1953  
Washington D.C. 

Peggy drove away from Howard’s D.C. residence, torn with what she and Daniel had just done. They were headed to one of the inaugural balls for newly elected President Dwight Eisenhower. Since the ball was at ten at night, they’d decided to leave Michael and Beth with their godparents, who seemed overjoyed at the thought of a sleepover. 

“Peg, the kids will be fine,” Daniel said softly from the passenger seat. 

“I know they will, and the Jarvises love them, but the children have never spent a night away from home.”

“Well, since we don’t have Mrs. Wick anymore…”

He didn’t have to continue. Peggy knew it was her fault that they were in between nannies. Again. Six nannies in three years. She couldn’t help it. Mrs. Wick came with superior references, just like the others. Mrs. Wick had the personality of a turnip, just like the others. Was it too much for a nanny to have people skills and care about her charges?

“We’ll find another nanny,” she said, not believing her own words. “I just hope the kids are okay not sleeping in their own beds.”

“Did you see how happy Michael and Beth were?”

“I know,” she conceded.

Since Howard had secured two government contracts several months ago, he was spending more time in D.C., which meant the Jarvises were here as well. They’d had a few playdates with the kids already, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed, and they didn’t hesitate when Peggy asked if they would watch the children overnight.

“They love spending time with Auntie Ana and Uncle Eddie,” Daniel said.

She winced. “You know he hates that nickname.”

“Michael can't say Edwin,” he said with a shrug. “Eddie is as good as he can get at this age. And when he’s old enough, Jarvis can tell him different if he wants to.”

They both knew Mr. Jarvis would never do that. He adored the three-year-old too much, and 20-month-old Beth had taken to calling him Uncle Eddie -- more like ‘Unca Eee’ -- as well. He would forever be Uncle Eddie to the Sousa children. 

Deep down Peggy knew it was a good idea for the children to have the sleepover. Somehow with their hectic lives, they’d been lucky, with one or both of them able to be home to tuck in the kids. It wouldn’t always be the case, as SHIELD’s workload continued to rise. She was having to travel more and more, and it soon would be at the point that Daniel might have to do the same.

Peggy pulled up to the National Guard Armory amidst a sea of waiting cars and after getting to the head of the line, she allowed a chipper young man to take the keys and drive their car off to goodness knows where. She never understood the concept of valets. Why allow someone else to park your car when you are perfectly capable of doing it yourself? 

She and Daniel entered the building and stopped at the coat check, both depositing their winter outerwear. She started to walk away, but Daniel grabbed her hand, stopping her. She looked at him, confused, but her confusion soon gave way to happiness and, if she were to be honest, a bit of pride.

“You look stunning, Peg.”

“Thank you,” she said with a shy smile.

She was quite happy with the dress Ana had made for her and, from the wolfish gaze Daniel was unable to hide, she looked as good in it as she thought. It was a floor-length, rich navy blue satin dress. Her shoulders and arms were bare, the dress held in place by a V-shaped strap that started in the sweetheart neckline and fastened around the back of her neck. The bodice was tight-fitting to her waist, then flowed out in a slight A-line. Ana had found a lovely Trifari necklace, blue and white glass with rhodium in an abstract design that ended with a slight point, perfectly complementing the neckline of the dress. She had a matching sheer navy blue wrap, which she placed over her shoulders before they proceeded into the main room. 

Peggy was taken aback by the sheer number of people in attendance. It was an inaugural ball, yes, but she hadn’t realized how many people had been invited. The room was filled with the beautifully dressed elite of Washington, D.C. and beyond. She saw senators, celebrities, entertainers, and many people she didn’t recognize but knew they had to be important to be here. 

She spotted Colonel Chester Phillips almost immediately. He was standing by himself, looking impeccable in his dress blues, which happened to be brown. Peggy leaned her shoulder into Daniel and nodded her head in Phillips’ direction. Daniel nodded as well and they set off across the room.

“Colonel,” Peggy said as soon as she reached him.

He nodded at her. “Carter. Sousa. Thanks for being here tonight.”

“Of course, sir,” Daniel said. “Happy to be of service.”

“I appreciate that. Though it looks like your services are not needed. The reports we had of a possible attempt on the new president seem to have been false.”

“Still,” Peggy said, “since we’re here, we’ll keep our eyes open.”

Phillips nodded his approval. “He and I go way back. Couldn't ask for a better man as President. Have you met him?”

“No, sir,” Peggy said, and Daniel agreed with a head shake.

Phillips walked away, expecting them to follow, which they did. Across the room they could see a group of tuxedo-clad men gathered around the President, and a few women in ball gowns talking with the President’s wife. Peggy admired Mamie Eisenhower’s light pink dress, which was studded with rhinestones and glistened in the subtle lighting in the room. It was so different from what the other women were wearing, very unexpected. Peggy liked her immediately.

Phillips managed to catch Eisenhower’s eye, and the president nodded to the men around him, then stepped away. His hand was out before Phillips reached him.

“Ches, glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Mr. President. I’d like you to meet two of our finest. Peggy Carter, director of SHIELD, and Daniel Sousa, in charge of SHIELD’s science unit.”

He shook Peggy’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Director Carter. SHIELD is doing good work.”

“Thank you, sir,” she replied sincerely.

Eisenhower turned to Daniel and shook his hand, nodding to his crutch. “You get that in the war?”

“Uh, yes, sir,” Daniel said, seemingly uncomfortable. “Bastogne.”

Eisenhower flinched. “That was a bad one. Hell, they were all bad, but that one was particularly nasty. Glad you made it out alive.”

“Thank you, sir. So am I.”

Eisenhower barked out a laugh. “I’ll bet you are. Welcome and enjoy yourselves, both of you.” He turned to Phillips. “There are some people I’d like you to meet, Ches.”

The two men walked away, leaving Daniel and Peggy looking at each other. 

“Seems like a nice enough chap,” Peggy said.

Daniel chuckled. “Never heard anyone refer to the most powerful man in the free world as a ‘chap’.”

She watched Phillips’ and the President’s path, and along the way her gaze found Richard Nixon. She eyed the vice president as he glad-handed a variety of men and even kissed the hands of some of the women. His smile was wide but somehow seemed insincere.

“There's something not quite right about Nixon,” Peggy said under her breath. “I can't put my finger on it, but I don't trust him.”

Daniel nodded, and she knew he'd come to the same conclusion: The Tricky Dick moniker from the California senate race a few years ago was fitting. For some reason, Peggy knew she’d be hearing more about him, and not for good reasons.

“I suppose we should mingle,” she said, her tone conveying that she wanted to do the exact opposite.

“We should.” Daniel motioned with his hand for her to start walking, and she did, putting on her professional happy smile, the one that she knew would hurt by the end of the evening.

\--------

They arrived home not much before one in the morning. The evening was uneventful, Phillips’ assertion that there was no threat being accurate. She and Daniel had done their obligatory mingling, having a lively discussion about intelligence gathering with Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles -- rumored to be taking over the agency soon. She even enjoyed herself during the entertainment, especially Lionel Hampton and his orchestra, and Daniel had as well if his constant foot tapping to the music was any indication. 

Partway through the evening, Peggy had called the Jarvises to see how the children were doing. Part of her wanted them to miss her so much that they would need to go get them, and part of her was happy to have an evening out. Mr. Jarvis said they’d had a wonderful time, the four of them creating a blanket and pillow fort in the sitting room. The thought of Edwin Jarvis in his three-piece suit crawling around on the floor with Michael and Beth made her smile.

The minute they stepped inside their house, Daniel removed his tuxedo jacket and the bow tie, leaving them along with their coats on the coatrack. Peggy kicked off her high heels in the entryway. He took her hand and led her into the living room.

“We could have dropped by Howard’s and picked up the children,” she said as they settled on the couch.

Daniel slipped an arm around her shoulder, his fingers lazily drawing circles on her bare skin. “Why? When you called earlier, Jarvis said they’d had a great time. We’d just wake all of them up and play hell getting the kids back to sleep here. Let’s enjoy the peace and quiet.”

She smiled but found it difficult to relax, to let go, either of work or of motherhood. Once she committed to something, she was in 100% for the duration. It wasn’t so easy for her to flip that switch.

Daniel noticed her tension. His hand went to her chin, pushing ever so slightly so that she would look at him. 

“All the time,” he said, “we are Director Carter and Assistant Director Sousa, or Mommy and Daddy. It’s okay for us to take a few hours to be just Peggy and Daniel.”

She sighed. “I know, but it does seem selfish.”

“No, it’s much-needed and much-deserved time to ourselves.”

She snuggled closer to her husband. He was right, of course. It wasn't selfish to want to spend time together, alone. They had been together for five years, though for the past four, their lives hadn't been their own. Four years ago, they had started SHIELD, and within a year of that, she’d given birth to Michael. Beth followed 18 months later. She wouldn't change a second of that time, though it would have been nice to have more moments like this with Daniel.

She tipped her head toward his neck and started dotting his skin with kisses, slowly moving her way up to his ear. He moaned his approval and before she knew it, he was kissing her. She opened her mouth to him, and the kiss soon turned from lazy to demanding. Her hands were everywhere, suddenly needing to touch him, almost as if she had to anchor herself to the moment. It was just the two of them, just Peggy and Daniel as he’d said, and it felt better than ever.

The kiss ended naturally, both needing to catch their breath. His grin was wide and sweet, making him look younger than he’d looked in years. Her thumb brushed over his lips, under the pretense of removing smeared lipstick but really, she just wanted to continue touching him.

“What are you thinking?” he whispered.

She smiled. “That I want my husband to make love to me.”

“I think that can be arranged.”

They’d always found time for sex -- quickly, while the kids were asleep at night or down for a nap. This was further complicated by her frequent out-of-town trips. It had been far too long since they could take their time, not concentrating on just release but on rediscovering each other. Really, truly making love.

Peggy untangled herself from him and stood. He rose from the couch and took her hand in his, leading her down the hall to their bedroom. Once inside, he went straight to the bed, sitting on the edge. She unhooked her necklace and placed on the dresser before approaching him and insinuating herself between his legs.

“Do you know how beautiful you look?” he said, hands skimming her waist.

She shrugged. “There were so many beautiful women there tonight.”

“None of them were even close to you, Peg. Tonight or any other night.”

She turned her back to him and gathered her hair up. “You’re a bit biased.” 

“You bet I am,” he said, taking the hint and lowering the zipper on the dress. 

Letting go of her hair, she released the strap around her neck and the dress fluttered to the ground, leaving her wearing just black satin panties and a black satin-and-lace strapless bustier, long enough to have straps attached for her stockings. She turned to face him and bit back a smile as his gaze raked over her.

“It’s a good thing I didn’t watch you get dressed,” he said, his finger tracing one of the cups of the bustier. “Had I known this was underneath, we would have left the ball a lot sooner.” His hands skimmed the bustier all the way down to the garter straps. “We may not have gotten out of the house in the first place.”

She hummed her approval as he unhooked each of the garter straps and slowly pushed the stockings down. She kicked them off the ends of her feet. His hands then went around her, feeling along the back of the bustier. He unhooked the dozen or so fasteners until the garment fell to the floor. She stood in front of him, clad only in the panties.

After giving birth to two children, her body had changed. The curves still were there, though they were more pronounced, especially around the hips and stomach. He didn’t seem to mind. 

“Are you just going to look or are you going to touch?” she asked playfully.

He let out a soft laugh as he tipped his head toward her, kissing her just above the elastic of the panties. “Oh, I’m going to touch. I just want to take my time.”

“A luxury we don’t often have,” she said as she stepped back, removing her panties before climbing on the bed. 

She laid down and held her arms out for him. He smiled as he leaned over her and covered her mouth with his. Her fingers locked around the back of his neck, keeping him in place though she knew he wasn’t going anywhere. The kiss was slow, deep and everything she needed. These days, their kisses often were rushed, stolen here and there when they had the time. This was the opposite of those kisses and she didn't want it to end, but it did.

He pulled back and smiled as his gaze swept over her, eyes dark and wanting. After five years, he still made her stomach flutter with that one look. It was the same look he gave her the first time they’d been together, a mixture of reverence and hunger.

He lowered his head, leaving soft wet kisses as he traced a path from one shoulder to the other. She sighed, both content and aroused.

“How is it that I have nothing on, yet you are in full dress?” she asked, her voice rough.

“I took off my jacket and tie,” he replied, looking up at her with a smirk.

“You'll have to do much better than that, mister.” 

Her fingers started on his shirt, deftly unbuttoning it in a matter of seconds. She then went to his wrists, removing the cufflinks. They had been his father’s, which his father wore on his wedding day and Daniel wore on his. They only came out for special occasions but she knew they meant so much to her husband. She carefully placed them on the side table before turning her attention to the tuxedo shirt, with which she was not careful. Once it was off, she tossed it behind her.

“Hey, that was expensive,” he teased.

“It can be laundered and ironed. Now get that undershirt off right now.”

“What’s the hurry, Peg? We have all night.”

“Darling, it’s one in the morning. It’s no longer night.”

He lifted the undershirt up and off. “Fine, then we have all morning.”

“We are due to pick up the kids at seven.”

“Actually, not until ten.” He smiled shyly. “Before we left Stark’s, I asked Jarvis if we could have a few extra hours. He happily agreed.”

Peggy gasped in mock surprise. “You sneaky devil! You planned all of this, didn’t you?”

“Can I help it if I want some alone time with my beautiful wife?”

“Then get to it,” she said as she unbuckled his belt.

“What happened to taking it slow?” He turned away from her, sitting on the edge of the bed. His trousers and underwear went down in one push, and he worked on unstrapping his prosthetic. 

She shifted on the bed, scooting closer to him, and she smiled at his gasp when she kissed his hip. Her lips traveled around to his back, then up his spine. She shifted again, onto her knees, and she nipped at the back of his neck, reveling in his moans. The fact that she still had this effect on him made her infinitely happy.

Without warning, he turned to her, his hands cupping her face as he slammed his mouth over hers. She laid back on the bed, taking him with her, their lips and tongues never parting. Propped up on an elbow, his free hand settled on her breast, kneading the heavy flesh. His finger and thumb pinched her nipple, just as she liked, and she rewarded him with a moan.

He pulled back from the kiss and his mouth replaced his hand, teeth lightly biting. She had finished breastfeeding Beth months ago, so the sensitivity from that was gone. She’d missed this, she’d missed all of this.

“Daniel…”

He hummed against her breast, and the vibrations traveled through her. His hand smoothed down her body, taking its time getting to where she wanted it the most. She moaned as his fingers parted her folds, stroking her slowly. 

Within a few times of being together, he had learned her body. He was a good listener and a fast learner, and she’d told him that five years ago, much to his amusement. He still knew her body, but every once in a while, he surprised her, like he was doing now as his lips left her breast and kissed their way on a journey to where his fingers were. He’d done this before, of course, but it had been so long, not since before she was pregnant with Beth. 

She understood now why tonight was so important to him. It was important to her as well, to reconnect physically and emotionally with her husband. Life, whether in the form of work or parenthood, took their time and energy and rarely left anything for each other. They desperately needed this, and they needed to make a concerted effort to take time for each other more often. When was the last time they had gone out to dinner, just the two of them? Or a concert? Or just spent time together doing nothing but holding each other? She didn’t want to become like other married couples she’d heard about, stagnant and complacent. She and Daniel together always had been passionate and bold, and she vowed to keep it that way.

Her train of thought was derailed as his tongue found a particularly sensitive spot and was doing particularly delightful things to it. Every moan she uttered was punctuated by another flick of his tongue. Her brought her almost to the edge, and then moved his mouth away. She bit back a groan of disappointment.

“We need to do this more often,” he said, planting a kiss to her inner thigh. “Well, maybe not exactly this.”

“Why the hell not?”

He puffed out a laugh against her skin. “Okay, exactly this and other things. Just the two of us.”

“I was thinking the same thing before you found that spot.”

“Which spot?” He flicked his tongue against her. “This spot?”

Her only response was a moan and a buck of her hips.

“Or this one?”

Another tongue strike connecting with another spot in need of his attention.

“God, Daniel!”

He stayed put this time, his mouth and tongue and fingers not stopping until she shouted his name and threads of pleasure wove through her, radiating out from her core to every part of her body, over and over.

When she came back to herself, he was kissing his way up her body, propping himself up on an elbow again as his lips lazily found hers. She tasted her arousal on his tongue and it sent another shockwave through her.

Getting her second wind, she pushed against his shoulders until he was on his back, and she immediately started in on his neck, kissing every inch of skin. She took her time, kissing her way down his chest, smooth and hard at the same time, then his abdomen, then lower and lower until she reached her destination. 

“Peg, you don’t have to…” 

His hands reached for her and she batted them away. Now it was her turn, she thought with a smile. She wrapped her hand around his erection and took the tip in her mouth, her tongue swirling around. 

“Shit,” he breathed out.

It had been too long since she'd done this for him as well. It wasn't her favorite but she knew how much pleasure it gave him. She moved her mouth up and down, a slow but methodical pace, taking in as much as she could and trying not to smile every time he moaned her name or an expletive.

She looked up at him, seeing his tightly closed eyes and fists gripping the sheets. It was difficult for either one of them to let themselves go, control as critical a part of their being as breathing. Sex was a way to release but not necessarily a release of control. It was only when they were this intimate that control was fleeting.

“Peg, stop.”

She stopped moving and met his gaze. 

“Get up here,” he said roughly. “Now.”

She smiled around his erection and let it slowly slip from her mouth. She knew that voice, the one that only she heard. That voice that was on the verge of losing complete control. 

Crawling up his body, she lowered her lips to his, knowing the kiss would be heated. He didn’t disappoint, his tongue thrusting in her mouth with intent. He rolled them onto their sides, mouths still connected, and he reached behind her. She knew he was trying to get to the side table drawer to grab a prophylactic. 

As soon as she was pregnant with Beth, they had decided to stop at two kids, their lives too out of control with running a fledgling agency and about to be parents of two small children. It was a mutual decision, one that recently Peggy was starting to not really regret, but reconsider. 

Maybe.

SHIELD was no longer new, and there were several agents who could take on more responsibilities. Whether or not she would be willing to give up that control was another matter. If she _had_ to, however, she knew she could. She'd done it twice before.

He broke the kiss and reached over her, opening the drawer and getting what he was after. Her expression must have betrayed her thoughts, as he tilted his head, curious. 

“What’s that look for?”

“I was just thinking about… possibly not using those anymore,” she replied quietly, nodding to the packet in his hand.

His face couldn’t hide his shock. “I thought we agreed to stop with Beth.”

“We did,” she said with a nod. “We did.”

“But…?”

She met his gaze. “Would it be so terrible to have a third?”

“Absolutely not,” he said immediately. “I just thought we agreed.” He paused, his hand brushing over her cheek. “Where is this coming from?”

She sighed out a laugh. “I have no idea. I just… I don’t know. I didn’t think I wanted to be a parent, but now that I am…”

“You love it.”

She nodded. 

“Well, we’re not getting any younger,” he said.

“Bite your tongue, Daniel Sousa!”

He smiled. “Okay, _I’m_ not getting any younger.”

She had to agree with that, watching every day the silver creeping into his dark hair, especially at the temples. She knew she was the main source of that graying, being a parent of two intelligent and precocious children a close second.

“You’re barely in your thirties,” she said. “I do know what you are saying, though. If we want to have more children, now would be the time.”

“It would make our lives even more hectic.”

“True, but it would make our lives that much richer as well.”

He nodded and, after a few seconds of hesitation, said, “I think having a third child would be a gift, but I would not be upset if we just have Michael and Beth. Let’s see what happens.”

“I agree,” she responded as she took the packet from his hand and tossed it to the floor.

He laughed. “Make sure you pick that up before we go get the kids. You know Michael will want to know what it’s for, and I’m not ready for that conversation. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for it.”

“Being a parent isn’t easy,” she said, “but you do it so well. Like so many other things.”

He smiled slyly. “And what would those other things be?”

“Lie down on your back and I’ll show you.”

He did as she said, and she straddled his hips.

“I have a better idea,” he said with a mischievous grin.

He grabbed her waist and with a roll -- and a squeak of surprise from her -- she was underneath him. His legs slipped between hers and, without warning, he pushed into her, eliciting moans from both of them. Most of the time, she was on top because it was easier, but this was her favorite. It took her a while to admit to herself that she liked him taking charge. It didn’t take him long to figure it out, though. He knew her better than she knew herself sometimes.

“I imagine using those… prophylactic things is not very pleasurable for you,” she said as she tilted her hips up, allowing him to push himself deeper and to find that sweet spot within her he knew so well.

“Don’t worry about me. Plenty of pleasure doing this with you.” He pulled out. “But, yes, it does feel different. Better.” He thrust back into her. “Amazing.”

“Yes,” she replied with a sigh.

He set up a slow pace, his gaze never leaving hers. She could lose herself in those deep brown eyes of his, and often did. Now was no exception. Staring into his eyes as he thrust in and out of her was a level of intimacy higher than she'd ever known. Sex was one thing, love was another, but this was, as he'd said, amazing. To be able to connect with someone so fully, so deeply, was something she didn't know could happen, but it did with Daniel. He repeatedly told her that he was a lucky man to have her. She was the luckier one.

Far too soon, his thrusts grew faster, more erratic. He was close. She wasn't always able to achieve orgasm this way but tonight she knew she would. It had been coiling like a snake in her belly, winding tighter and tighter with each thrust. She slipped a hand between them, helping her efforts along because she knew he was ready to explode and was holding off for her. Always the gentleman, even as he pistoned in and out of her. The thought made her laugh.

“What's so funny?”

“Not funny,” she moaned. “Happy. So happy.”

“I love you, Peg.”

“Love you, too.”

With that, she was gone. More waves of pleasure, not as forceful as earlier but still intense enough to make her gasp. In her lightheaded flight, she heard him say her name. His hips stilled and she felt a warmth inside her. She felt wonderfully full -- full of love and full of life. 

He lowered his head to hers, their lips meeting in slow, sex-drunk kisses for several minutes. She had been dreading the evening, both because of the ball and because the children would be away. Now she realized just how perfect the evening had turned out.

He pulled out of her and flopped down on his back. She took her place at his side, head on his chest. Feeling the familiar stickiness between her legs, she knew should get out of bed and clean up, but she was too content in his arms. He wasn’t making any attempt to move, either, so she would change the sheets in the morning. Or later this morning, she thought. She had no concept of what time it was and really didn’t give a damn.

“I was serious earlier,” he said as his arms tightened around her. “We need time to ourselves more often.”

She yawned against his chest, then said, “You’re absolutely right. If we could just find a decent nanny, that would help.”

“We will, Peg. There is someone out there. Things have a way of working out.”

She nodded against his chest and was asleep within minutes.

\-------

They were awake by eight, giving them time to make love again before showering and having coffee, then setting off to pick up the kids.

Although it was a Wednesday, she and Daniel had agreed to work from home so they both could be there for the kids, just in case they had been anxious about being away overnight. As they pulled up in front of Howard’s and saw the laughter and grins as the kids and the Jarvises played in the front yard, Peggy knew the anxiety was all hers.

As soon as they exited the car, Mr. Jarvis walked the children to them and helped Daniel get them settled in the back seat. Michael, usually quiet and reserved, was a chatterbox, going on and on about the tower he and Mr. Jarvis had built with Tinker Toys. 

“Daddy, it was eight feet tall!”

Peggy shot a look to Mr. Jarvis, who had his palm facing the ground at his hip. So more like three feet tall, but to a three-year-old, it must have seemed gigantic.

She hadn't asked the Jarvises to babysit too many times because she felt like she was forcing her children on them as a matter of convenience. However, after seeing how sad Ana seemed as the kids piled in the car, Peggy realized that what she was giving them was not a burden but a gift. She was ashamed she hadn't noticed it before. 

“Unca Eddie is better at Tinker Toys than Daddy,” Michael blurted out.

Daniel clutched his chest. “I’m hurt.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t mean it,” Mr. Jarvis said, a hint of pride in his smile.

“Bye, Auntie Ana, Unca Eddie,” Michael yelled, then turned to Peggy. “Mommy, can we be here tonight, too?”

Peggy smiled. “Not tonight, honey, but maybe another night.” She caught Mr. Jarvis’s smile widen.

Beth curled her hand into a grasping wave, directed at Ana, who was now standing in the house’s doorway. Ana waved back enthusiastically as Peggy walked back to the house with Mr. Jarvis.

“Thank you for taking them for the evening, Mr. Jarvis,” Peggy said.

“It was our pleasure, Mrs. Sousa, I assure you. We all had a splendid time. Ana has said over and over how much light and life Michael and Beth bring to the house when they are here. I haven’t heard my wife laugh so much in a while.”

As soon as Peggy reached the house, Ana brought her into a hug. “Thank you for letting us care for the children.”

“Thank _you_ , Ana. I know both of you run a busy household, and the kids are quite a handful.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Ana said with a sincere smile. “They are absolute angels, and as smart as their parents.” She wrapped her arm around her husband’s. “Mr. Jarvis and I were talking last night after Daniel said you were between nannies. If you need me to watch them, I would be more than happy to until you find someone. I don’t have much to do around here. Mr. Jarvis is quite efficient, and Mr. Stark is not home very much. You don’t have to say yes, of course. I thought I would offer.”

Peggy looked toward the car and caught Daniel’s eye, and he nodded. She smiled, still amazed how much they were on the same wavelength. The answer to their nanny situation wasn’t finding another stranger with an outstanding resume. The answer was having a friend who loved Michael and Beth as if they were her own.

“Actually, Ana, Daniel and I have a proposition for you.”

**Author's Note:**

>  **Historical notes and images** :
> 
> There were two inaugural balls for Eisenhower in 1953. One was held at the McDonough Auditorium of Georgetown University and the other, which was the setting for the beginning of this fic, was at The National Armory in Washington D.C. on January 20, 1953. Lionel Hampton was one of the orchestra directors there.
> 
> Mamie Eisenhower’s pink peau de soie gown: <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bMaghgLeXOk/T2ygHHW9AHI/AAAAAAAAE2k/m6YBoE8CLHQ/s1600/mamie2.jpg>
> 
> How I picture Peggy’s dress: <http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/55/81/8b/55818bdc92f99750c26a77ddb0c6c382.jpg>
> 
> And Peggy’s necklace (sort of): <http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/58/27/1d/58271dd7fbadc245e2e2f544aa13a777.jpg>
> 
> I’ll spare y’all the photo of the bustier. :)


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